Dáin II Ironfoot
Dáin II Ironfoot or King Dáin was a Dwarven King of Durin's Folk, the fifth King under the Mountain, and the Lord of the Iron Hills during the War of the Ring in Middle-earth in the late Third Age. He fought alongside King Brand, the King of Dale in the northern battles against the Easterlings and died along with him, but his sacrifice helped defeat Mordor's allies in the north, which helped shield Rivendell, Mirkwood, and Lothlórien from the northern attack of Sauron's war on Middle-earth. Biography Early Life and War of the Dwarves and Orcs Dáin was the son of Náin and the grandson of Grór, the youngest son of Dáin I of Durin's folk, and was lord of the Dwarves of the Iron Hills in Wilderland. He followed his grandfather, Grór, in lordship after Nain was killed by the great Orc chieftain Azog during the Battle of Azanulbizar, the final conflict in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs, before he could inherit the lordship. Almost immediately after the death of Náin, Dáin rushed up the steps and slew Azog himself, thus avenging his father's death. He was a very young Dwarf at the time, being only thirty-two years of age, by the dwarves reckoning, he was still a stripling. Dáin's feat was heralded as a magnificent and glorious triumph for one so young. Dáin alone looked past the gate into Moria, and had the wisdom to know that it was impossible for the dwarves to return at that time. His kingdom at the Iron Hills was so great that they were the only people truly capable of dealing with Sauron's forces at that time. Battle of the Five Armies Dáin was the second cousin of Thorin Oakenshield, and responded to Thorin's call for help during the quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain. Dáin set out with five hundred dwarves, and his army wore large and heavy war armor, with iron boots, and they were strong, even for dwarves. They were armed with axes and swords. He arrived just in time for the Battle of the Five Armies. The War of the Ring After Thorin's death, Dáin became King under the Mountain and King of Durin's folk, the first not in a direct line. Dáin was a wise and just ruler and brought much wealth to the mountain realm and was on good terms with the Men of Dale in the south, and probably the Elven king of Northern Mirkwood as well, which ensured peace for many years to come. When Balin and other dwarves decided to retake Moria, Dáin initially refused, but Balin insisted on going.The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Council of Elrond" A few months before the Council of Elrond, a messenger from Mordor appeared at the gates of the Lonely Mountain and offered the dwarves an alliance with Sauron, asking only in return that the dwarves share what they knew "concerning Hobbits", and help to track down the One Ring, which the messenger described as "least of rings... a trifle that Sauron fancies." The messenger said that, if the dwarves could deliver the ring itself, then Sauron would return three of the Rings of Power that originally belonged to the Dwarf-Lords, and Moria would be theirs to possess forever. On the other hand, the messenger warned that "things would not go so well" if the dwarves did not help. Dain refused to be tricked or intimidated, and sent the messenger away without an answer, and instead sent Gloin to Rivendell, to consult with Elrond, while Dain prepared the Lonely Mountain for war. Death Dáin participated in the War of the Ring's northern campaign but was killed during the Battle of Dale in TA 3019, defending the body of King Brand of Dale before the gates of the Lonely Mountain. He was, by then, an extremely old Dwarf, at the age of two-hundred and fifty-two, but far from feeble. He was still among the greatest of the Dwarven warriors, a direct descendant of Durin and his prowess in battle was nearly unmatched. After news of his death reached Minas Tirith, Gandalf remarked that, as saddened as they must be at Dain's death, they should be glad that he died in battle, defending his friend's body, as well as amazed that he was still the formidable warrior he had been as a young dwarf. After his death during the war, his son, Thorin III Stonehelm, succeeded him.The Lord of the Rings: Appendix AThe Complete Guide to Middle-earth Portrayal in adaptations The Hobbit film trilogy In the The Hobbit trilogy by Peter Jackson, Dáin will be played by the Scottish comedian Billy Connolly. He will ride into battle upon a wild boar, and sport a mohawk, much like Dwalin in the battle of Azanulbizar. He has been described by Peter Jackson as "the toughest and staunchest of all the dwarves." Video games Dáin appears in the real time strategy game The Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth II, fighting on the Dwarven faction as King Dáin. His great axe in the game is Barazanthual, which was one of the finest weapons ever made by Dwarfdom and was rightly feared by all his enemies. Wallpaper5preview.jpg|King Dain II 1126392169_thumb.jpg|King Dain in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth II game DainBalinMini.jpg|Dain (left) miniature by Games Workshop, for the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game Dáin II Ironfoot.jpg|Dáin II Ironfoot from The Lord of the Rings Online Appearances *The Hobbit (first appearance) *The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (mentioned only) *The Hobbit: There and Back Again *The Fellowship of the Ring (mentioned only) *LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game (Portable versions only) References External link * de:Dáin II. es:Dáin II pl:Dáin II Żelazna Stopa ru:Даин II Железностоп Category:Dwarves Category:Lords of the Iron Hills Category:Kings of the Lonely Mountain Category:The Hobbit Characters Category:The Lord of the Rings Characters Category:Deaths in Battle